Review of Paddington (2014) by Liam C — 23 May 2015

When I initially saw the short version of the trailer for this I was worried that this would just be like most other adaptations of its type, it featured Paddington in a bathroom with a gag joke and then a loud scene with a bath. At that point I had already accepted what I thought this was going to be but I'm so glad that I was wrong because 'Paddington' is a prime example of how to do something like this the perfect way, and seeing that bathroom scene in the film is a lot of fun. Placing Paddington in the real world isn't just a gimmick that other films like this do when they have no idea of what to do with their characters, Paddington was always set in 'the real world'. When Paddington gets to London, he gets ignored at the train station and that's exactly how London would be and this film gets so many more little details like that about England really well done and they're so funny, as is the overall film. The film also has smart film references and a really well done soundtrack. Even though I grew up with the character, seeing it all in live action, I will admit when the film started I did have a little trouble accepting the fact that everyone just accepted a talking bear with a hat, and later his classic coat, but as the story went on that went away- but I mean really, he would be in Area 51 so fast. I really did like the story in this and everything really comes full circle and wraps up so well in a really satisfying package that it'd be hard for anyone to resist. The bad guy in the film has a reason to be the way they are and it fits in with what happens early on and it's just nice to see a really well written story with no coincidences, everything fits and everything works. The character of the disapproving father isn't particularly new but it works here because they're dealing with a talking bear!

The cast of the film was well chosen and they all really commit to this film to make it as fun as it could possibly be, there are quite a few cameos throughout with actors that are fun to see in this but I won't spoil them. It was fun to see Hugh Bonneville in this, seeing him go from 'Downton Abbey' to making bear noises and wearing a dress is just really funny. Ben Whishaw as Paddington was perfect casting and seeing as how he had so little time to re-record all of Firth's dialogue, because they could no longer see him in the role, it's just great. I wonder what he would have been like, it's certainly odd to imagine, especially after Whishaw's excellent portrayal. Nicole Kidman was great, even if was kind of odd to just randomly see her in this; the age rating controversy that her character brought is a little silly, really, you're going to change it from a U to a PG because the head of the board was scared of characters like her when he was a child? What is this? Not everyone is as much of a baby as you were. Nicole Kidman's character is reminiscent of Cruella de Vil, which is funnily enough one of the examples he used, but really? This film is absolutely harmless, just like that one and all the other films like this. Not like it matters much, the young audience that would want to see this anyway would need to have been taken to the cinema by an adult anyway. The CGI in this film is fantastic and excellently done; you quickly forget that all of the actors are interacting with something that isn't there, Paddington is just so cute! There were just a few things that I was thinking through the film; that one of oranges he drops at the start should have been the 'o' in his name. The shelter should have been a little bit closer to their home in the jungle. It was fun to see the empty jars in the boat, even if no way did he have all of those in his bag, but it was a nice sight gag. I don't really know how the shower turned on in the bathroom; I think it was an accident. I thought Julie Walters character was going to hit that character with her handbag instead of getting them drunk, as funny as that scene was, no way would that happen! Haha. And I know she said she was too old to travel but I felt sad at the end knowing that she couldn't come to visit. The whole film just emits a very warm innocence that really has been lost in these kind of films and overall it's just short, sweet and full of whimsy.